The Hermitage and Gazprom Neft concluded an agreement on collaboration in the sphere of cultural projects in Serbia

On 23 January 2023, the State Hermitage and the company Gazprom Neft concluded an agreement on collaboration in the strengthening of cultural and historical ties between Russian and Serbia.

Alexander Diukov, the head of Gazprom Neft, and Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage, both signed the document.

The programme of partnership in the sphere of culture, scholarship and education is intended to last five years. It includes, among other things, support for the annual Russian-Serbian archaeological expedition in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the holding of Hermitage Days in Belgrade, the organization of exhibitions and scholarly conferences, as well as projects to preserve historical heritage sites.

“The Hermitage has been participating in the Russian-Serbian archaeological expedition for several years. Restoration has become an important area of joint activity. Thanks to Hermitage specialists, hundreds of archaeological finds from excavations carried out by Serbian colleagues in past years have been processed. We have plans to hold Hermitage Days in Belgrade. That is a special form of the museum’s presence, when we do not simply present exhibitions, but bring our experience – lectures, master classes, books, films and programmes of public education. For a few days, a little piece of the Hermitage will move to Serbia,” Mikhail Piotrovsky commented.

Alexander Diukov, the chairman of the board of Gazprom Neft, stated: “For almost 15 years, Gazprom Neft has been one of the largest foreign investors in Serbia. Over all that time, we and our Serbian partners have not only engaged successfully in business, but have also supported culture and are preserving historical heritage. Our company’s largest social project has been involvement in the creation of an unprecedentedly large-scale mosaic in the main cathedral and symbol of Serbia – the Temple of Saint Sava. Our next major step will be to support the Hermitage’s projects in Serbia. Russia and Serbia are very closely linked on the historical, spiritual and cultural levels, and the development of the Hermitage’s new projects will undoubtedly be of major significance for the further strengthening of relations between our peoples.”

Gazprom Neft is the largest shareholder in the Naftna Industrija Srbije energy group. The company’s joint project with the Hermitage is part of the Russian-Serbian Zajedno! (“Together!”) programme that links Gazprom Neft’s social initiatives in Serbia together. The main fields of activity for Zajedno! are culture and the preservation of historical heritage.